The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School is a regular public school in Norfolk, Nebraska, serving students from preschool through fourth grade. It is part of the Norfolk Public Schools district. The school’s enrollment is small for an elementary school, and the student body is predominantly white, with a much smaller share of Hispanic students and even smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
State testing data from the most recent school year shows that, across both tested subjects and all tested grades, Lincoln Elementary’s overall proficiency rate landed in the bottom quartile among schools in Madison County. The scores for both math and English language arts at the third- and fourth-grade levels were reported at the lowest possible level. A five-year trend line available in the data shows a notable decline. In English language arts, the school had a proficiency rate around the middle of the range five years ago and ended with a rate roughly near the middle of the lower portion in the most recent year. In math, the trend is steeper: the school had a proficiency rate in the middle range five years ago and ended at the lowest reported level this past year, a decline that a parent may want to look into further with the school.
Because Lincoln Elementary ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The grade band also limits the range of data available for some other measures; for example, chronic absenteeism and course access data were not present.
The Norfolk community is the economic center for a six-county region in northeast Nebraska. The economy blends manufacturing, retail, agriculture, healthcare, and education. Major employers include Faith Regional Health Services, Nucor, Norfolk Public Schools itself, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Covidien, Walmart, Continental, Norfolk Iron and Metal, and Wis-Pak. Norfolk is a highway-oriented city at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and a major state route, with an Elkhorn River corridor through the southern part of the city. The built environment is more auto-oriented than pedestrian-oriented, with a traditional downtown core that sits separately from the school campuses. The city is the principal city of the Norfolk Micropolitan Statistical Area and has historically grown through transportation infrastructure.
Housing values in the area are at a moderate level relative to the national benchmark, and rents are at a point where owning a home is less expensive each month than renting, given typical mortgage rates. The typical mortgage payment would be higher than the typical rent, but the difference is not large. Home values have been rising at a rate above the national average.
The district brief did not identify any recent parent-relevant changes, such as boundary adjustments or program additions, that would affect a family considering Lincoln Elementary.
This is a small elementary school with a recent pattern of declining academic performance that has settled at the low end of local schools. A family considering Lincoln Elementary would want to understand the school’s current instructional approach and any improvement efforts underway. The broader Norfolk community offers a stable economic base with a mix of manufacturing, healthcare, and retail employment, and housing that is moderately priced relative to national norms. The school’s size may appeal to families who prefer a smaller, more contained setting for early elementary grades, but the academic trajectory is a clear concern to weigh.
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